Fate is The Hunter
by TL22
Summary: This is a Pacey/Andie love story. No matter what they did or where they went, fate would eventually catch up with them. "Fate is The Hunter" is a book written by Ernest K. Gann. Meaning your fate is predetermined and no matter what you do, you will always meet predestined fate.


**Pacey**

Pacey sat at the bar absentmindedly twirling his drink. He did not notice the tinkling of ice cubes as they bounced off the glass. It had been eighteen years since he was in Capeside. He had come back for the funeral of his brother Doug. During a high speed chase Doug had crashed his police cruiser and from what the coroner told him; Doug died instantly.

Pacey sighed and ordered another scotch and soda. As he did so often these days he started to think about his life; what was and what could have been. Here he was forty three, unmarried, and no permanent home. It wasn't that he did not have money. Actually he had plenty of money. Being captain of a sea-going tug was quite lucrative.

His relationship with Joey lasted about ten months. They began the relationship in ignorant bliss. Then the arguments started. Basically Joey wanted him to change; to make him the man she envisioned he should be. A renaissance man he was not.

Joey loved to attend functions where she mingled with the intellectual elite of New York City; he on the other hand would rather be in a bar shooting darts, drinking a cold beer. Pacey knew if he stayed much longer he would wind up hating her. Joey was so much of his past, he did not want to hate her, and so he left.

Setting his drink down Pacey looked to the bartender for a refill. She was good. It was almost as if she had a sixth sense when one of her customers ran dry. With a smile she walked over and picked up his glass and returned. As soon as her eyes met his she smiled again. "Here you go Mr. Witter."

Pacey raised his arm as a means of thanks. He then took a sip of the fresh drink and let his mind wander back into the past .He always loved the sea. Shortly after he left Joey he secured a job as a deck hand on a sea going tug. After eleven years he took on his first captain's position. Pacey figured he must have been born to travel. The years had taken him to just about every port on the east coast from Key West Florida to ST. Johns Newfoundland. Due to the schedules he never really had a home. He could have, but when off he rented a house for a month or stayed in a hotel in whatever city he decided to stay in. His two favorites were Halifax Nova Scotia and ST Augustine Florida. Girlfriends had come and gone.

Pacey twirled his glass again and unconsciously shrugged his shoulders. He wondered why none of the various women he dated throughout the years never stuck. Some of them would have made any man a good wife.

The ever vigilant bartender appeared in front of him. Pacey glanced down at his glass. "Yes please."

A moment later she was back with a brimming glass. "Here you go Mr. Witter." She hesitated and spoke again. "This one is on me."

Surprised Pacey looked at her. Her name tag read Katherine and Pacey noticed that she wore a gold wedding band. "Why thank you Katherine and how do I deserve the honor?"

Katherine picked up a bar rag and wiped the bar in front of Pacey. Somberly she replied. "It finally dawned on me that you must be a relative of Doug Witter here for the funeral."

Quietly Pacey replied. "I am his brother."

"I liked your brother. He was a good man. I'll leave you be now."

"Thank you." When thinking of his brother a feeling of sadness came over him. He had little contact with Doug over the last several years. His thoughts drifted back to when they were children.

**Andie**

The drive from Boston to Capeside wasn't a long one, but today it seemed to take forever. Andie rarely visited Capeside as Jack and Doug preferred to come to Boston for visits. They needed to get out of the sometimes stifling small town and to a place that had things to do.

Andie glanced at the road sign, thirty miles to Capeside. It was a sad drive. She was returning home to attend the funeral of Doug Witter. Andie almost laughed aloud when she realized that she had thought of Capeside as home. Actually she had only lived there for three years. Boston was her home, four years of college and then four years of med school, a one year residency, four years as an intern and a one year fellowship, all in Boston. Then she landed her job at New England Baptist Hospital as an orthopedic surgeon.

The three years she had lived in Capeside were the most intense years of her life. The first year was among the happiest but most stressful years of her life. She fell in love and the stress of her life finally broke her and she cracked and had to hospitalized. Andie sighed when she thought of that year. What was her late father thinking; sending his family to Capeside, while he stayed with his business in Providence. Her mother never recovered from the shock of her brother's death and she became the de facto head of the household.

A boyfriend was the last thing Andie had on her mind when she arrived in Capeside. She needed to run the household and maintain her A plus grades in a new school. Then she also had to be a good sister to her brother Jack.

As the Gods wont; she literally ran into the boy who would become her boyfriend. The first week of school she had a minor traffic accident with a one Pacey Witter. They fell in love with each other and under her tutelage his grades sky rocketed. They were perfect for each other. A knowing glance or gesture was all they needed to communicate at times. This was the happiest time of her life, but the strain of her mother's illness, an absentee father, a brother coming out of the closet, maintaining her A plus average took their toll and she cracked and had to seek medical care.

Andie glanced up from driving. The sun had almost set and her reminiscing put her into a melancholy mood. Putting her Corvette in cruise control Andie took her feet off the pedals and stretched like a cat. The sound that escaped her lips startled her. Laughing aloud she decided the sound was like a cat in heat.

Andie didn't want to think about her second year of living in Capeside. Shaking her head she wondered what the doctors were thinking when they released her. There was no way in this world that she was ready to deal with life on her own. The second year of living in Capeside was sustained torture. Andie took her car out of cruise control and gripped the wheel tightly.

Yes you could say her misery was her fault. She made a mistake and slept with a fellow patient. Andie knew why she did it and also she knew it was a mistake as soon as it happened. Andie refused to let her thoughts go back to the bleak time in the hospital. She never wanted to feel the hopelessness and depression so deep it was like looking into a dark endless void. Mark was a beacon of light. He offered comfort and human contact.

Lying and being dishonest was not in her nature so she told Pacey about her mistake. He said he understood, but he really didn't. Then she watched him slowly drift toward Joey.

Andie pulled her car over to the side of the road. This was the reason she didn't visit Capeside. Memories and feelings were pushed back into the deep recesses of her mind, surfaced. She didn't need to dwell upon what happened. It took her almost dying and an escape from Capeside, to live in Italy, to restore mental wellbeing and self-confidence.

Her life was good. Andie knew she loved her work and after a few years, and a broken engagement, accepted the fact that her work was to be her marriage. Male company was something she enjoyed, boyfriends came and went, but all in all she was content.

Getting back in her car Andie decided that a good stiff drink would hit the spot before she went to her brother's house.

Twenty minutes later a respectable looking tavern she did not recognized appeared. The town line sign had appeared a mile back, so she had arrived.

Andie was almost next to him when she recognized who he was. Older with flecks of gray in his thick hair, but unmistakably Pacey. For some reason she did not expect him to be there; even though it was the funeral of his brother.

Quietly she sat next to her former boyfriend; he didn't seem to notice her. Impulsively and for reasons Andie could not explain; she tentatively reached out and grasped Pacey's hand.

**Pacey and Andie**

Pacey was lost in his thoughts when he was startled by a hand slipping over his. Quickly he glanced to his left. She had not changed much; still slim with the same sea gray eyes. The dim light softened the lines radiating from her eyes and mouth. It was almost if she hadn't aged at all. "Andie?"

She smiled at him and squeezed his hand. "It's been awhile Pacey."

"A long while; how have you been?"

Andie's smile waned. "I'm so sorry for your loss Pacey."

"Thank you. You know I have been sitting here thinking about Doug. There are a lot of things I wished I had told him. I kind of went missing many years ago."

Andie nodded. "So I heard. How did you find out?"

"Gretchen, we sort of stayed in touch. She knew I was working on sea going tugs and hunted me down."

"You always did like the sea. I guess it makes sense. I heard you were doing something on the water, but did not know what it was." Andie noticed the bartender patiently standing in front of her. "I'll have a vodka tonic, with a twist of lime please."

With a smile the bartender walked away to make the drink.

Andie turned back to Pacey. I heard that you and Joey moved in together in New York and then I heard you disappeared."

"Very true Andie. The longer I stayed the more I realized I had made a mistake." Pacey picked up his drink and drained it. "You know I have no idea what she is doing or where she is now."

Andie laughed. Don't look at me. I have no idea where she is either. I know Dawson is somewhere in Los Angles and that's about it. The only person I talk to in Capeside is my brother Jack. You know I saw your brother three or four times a year. They liked to come to Boston. So with me living there they had a free place to stay."

Pacey slumped forward and shook his head. "You know I haven't seen my brother once in fifteen years."

"That's bothering you now isn't it?" Andie marveled at the bartender. She was like a ghost. Her cocktail appeared and she didn't even realize it happened.

Turning to look at Andie Pacey replied. "Yes it does. You think you can do it tomorrow or next week then suddenly there are no more tomorrows. I always meant to talk to him, but I kept pushing it off. I guess I was kind of ashamed at how I disappeared. At first I just wanted some time alone. I didn't want to answer questions. I always meant to return. Before I knew it the days had stretched into years. So McPhee did you ever become a doctor?"

"Why yes I did Pacey. I did all my medical training in Boston and I now live and work there. If I remember correctly you were supposed to call me after we met at the hospital when we were there for Jen. Why didn't you call me Pacey?" When Andie finished speaking she looked directly into Pacey's eyes waiting for his reply. She used to be able to tell when he was not quite telling the truth.

Taking a sip off of his drink and then placing it on the scarred bar top Pacey looked back into Andie's eyes. "I wish I had called you."

Fighting the impulse to turn away Andie continued to hold Pacey's gaze Andie replied. "So why didn't you?"

"Honestly?"

"Of course, I really thought you would call me."

Softly Pacey began to speak. "Joey told me that she wanted to get back with me. Joey told me she chose me."

Keeping her gaze steady Andie replied. "What did that have to do with anything; I thought we were going to be friends."

Fidgeting with his drink Pacey did not know quite how to respond. Finally he blurted out. "I'm sorry; I thought it would be for the best that we didn't communicate."

"Pacey I wish I could say I understand, but I don't" Andie broke her gaze and looked up. Her reflection startled her. The wall behind the tiers of liquor was a mirror. In the dimness of the bar she could easily pass for someone in their late twenties but as soon as she stepped out into the harsh sunlight that illusion would have been shattered. Andie smiled. She could still wear the clothes she wore in high school; that was on the plus side. She considered a face lift to rid her of the so called smile lines around her eyes and mouth. Andie smiled again._ No plastic for her, she was going out of this world the same way she came in it._ Andie turned to face Pacey. "Your loss Witter."

Andie was surprised; Pacey did not respond with one of his witty sarcastic comments. He just stared into his drink. Finally he softly replied. "Yes it was my loss."

"Yes it was my loss", were the very last words Andie expected out of Pacey's mouth. Andie had no idea how she would respond to her former boyfriend's admission. Fiddling with her glass she took a sip and decided to let Pacey break the silence.

After a moment Pacey realized that Andie had stopped talking and was staring at picture on the wall. "Í didn't know I could bore you so quickly McPhee."

"I'm not bored Pacey, I just have no idea what to say to you."

"What do you mean Andie? Did I say something wrong?"

Andie looked at the bartender and nodded; then turned to Pacey. "No, you did not say anything wrong. You startled me when you said it was your loss you didn't call."

"It was my loss Andie. We could have been friends all these past years." Pacey fell silent as the bartender replaced Andie's drink. "I will regret that for the rest of my life."

"So Pacey are you going to disappear or are we going to stay in contact this time?"

Smiling Pacey replied. "What about your boyfriend? How is he going to react to an ex hanging around?"

Andie laughed. "He won't say a thing."

"You're pretty confident, you must have him whipped."

"No, he's not whipped. I don't happen to have a boyfriend."

Startled Pacey replied. "You mean you were too busy for the past eighteen years to date and get married?"

"Oh Pacey, come on, I haven't led my life like a nun. I've had boyfriends and was even engaged once. None of them were quite right for me."

Visions of Andie kissing another man flashed through his mind; strangely he was a little bothered by the image. "You know McPhee, I have to confess, I've thought about you often over the years.

Andie was inwardly pleased with Pacey's admission. "You have been in my thoughts also, Pacey. Tell me haven't you had some big romances since you left Joey"

Leaning back in his chair Pacey replied. You don't want to hear about my exploits up and down the east coast of North America?"

Laughing Andie replied. "No, I don't want to hear about you tales of conquest, but I am curious if you had fallen in love."

"Seriously Andie, I don't know. There were girls that I liked, but I never stayed in one place long enough. Who knows?"

Pacey and Andie fell silent, both lost in their thoughts. Andie finished her drink. "Well Pacey it was good running into you. I think I'll check in with Jack now." And Andie rose to leave.

"Please no, stay." Escaped Pacey lips, before the thought was even clearly defined in his mind.

Andie sat down again. "Why stay Pacey?"

In a voice barely above a whisper Pacey replied. "I like talking to you." He hesitated. "I miss talking to you."

Leaning over Andie briefly kissed Pacey on the cheek. "It's nice to know you thought of me over the years. I feel flattered or all warm and fuzzy inside. I'm not sure which."

"Andie let's go get that dinner we talked about years ago."

"Okay, when?"

"Now, how does Leery's Fresh Fish sound? I saw they were still in business when I drove into town."

Andie thought for a minute. "Yes I'd love to."

Pacey looked over to the bartender. "Check please."

Katherine watched the couple leave the bar. She could not help but over hear most of their conversation. Being a very good bartender she learned how to read people. Something about the couple that just left; she could tell they had a connection. It didn't matter that they had not seen each other in eighteen years.

**The Restaurant**

Gail Leery stepped out of her office and surveyed the busy crowd. The idea she had with her late husband worked out better than she had ever dreamed. Gail had remarried but she kept her late husband's last name to keep things simple. As she would have the same name as her daughter Lily and of course the name on the restaurant; Leery's Fresh Fish. The man she married eighteen years ago didn't have a problem with it so all was good.

Gail walked through the kitchen observing the chefs at work. She insisted on high standards and only the freshest of fish; which was why her place was doing so well.

Dawson her son had found success in Hollywood and married a sometime actress. Gail always laughed to herself when she thought of her son and his marriage. As a writer/director he always insisted on realism. Everything had to be authentic with him. Then he went and married a girl with a boob job.

Actually Gail was quite fond of her daughter in law and wished she could see her two grandchildren more often. Lily, her daughter was about to graduate NYU in New York City. She chose NYU on account of the nationally recognized Tisch School of Performing Arts. Lily wanted to be an actress.

Two hours later Gail glanced at the clock in her office. Ten thirty three; almost time to close. She decided to walk out to the dining room to see how many customers she still had.

Gail strolled out to the dining room with a weak seven and seven in a coffee cup. She liked to have a drink or two before they closed for the night, but she did not want her customers to see her wandering around with a drink in her hand. There were five couples left.

Another half hour and the restaurant would be empty. Gail turned to walk back into her office till a couple sitting at a table against the wall, almost hidden caught her attention. She turned away to go back to her office, but the couple sparked a memory. Again Gail turned and looked at the couple. She almost dropped her drink when she recognized them. Gail hadn't seen Pacey or Andie in eighteen years and how curious they turned up together at her restaurant.

Doug's funeral came to mind. Now she understood why both of the long lost residents of Capeside were back. Gail started to walk to their table and greet them, but she stopped in her tracks. It was obvious that the long ago couple were sharing an intimate moment. Both of them were leaning forward as not to miss a spoken word. Gail noticed that Pacey held one of Andie's hands in his and Andie held one of Pacey's hands in hers. Even after watching eight or nine minutes of conversation neither one let the other hand go. It was if I found you and I'm never letting go again.

Without any indication both of them leaned forward at the same time and kissed. Not a long swallow your tongue kiss but a kiss that begged for more. Short, but lingering. Gail shook her head. Never in her wildest thoughts did she think that the star crossed couple of Andie and Pacey would ever reunite.

Curious to see what was going to happen, Gail decided to sit at the bar to observe and leave them alone. In due time Pacey paid the bill and they rose to leave. Her eyes followed them. They walked close together but not really touching. When they left the restaurant Gail could still observe them through the front window; she was curious as to what was going to happen next.

She watched the couple standing in front of her restaurant laugh at some unheard joke. Then Andie took Pacey's arm and they started to walk away. Right before they vanished into the night they stopped and kissed again; and then they were gone into the darkness of the night.

Smiling to herself, she shook her head and admitted; sometimes the Gods right what was wrong. She knew all those years ago, even with all the teen angst. That Pacey and Andie were meant for each other. Gail sensed the bond between them, the first time she ever saw them together.

Gail called over the waitress who had waited on them and asked if she had run the credit card yet. The waitress replied no. Gail smiled and tore the check in quarters. "Don't worry Carrie; I'll make sure you get the tip."

**The End**


End file.
